1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dispenser for a refrigerator, and, more particularly, to a dispenser for a refrigerator in which the return speeds of an opening/closing member and a lever member operate independently.
2. Description of the Related Art
Korean Patent Application No. 1997-0080299 discloses a conventional refrigerator which comprises a main body that is divided into a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment. A refrigerating compartment door and a freezing compartment door are coupled to the main body to open and close the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, respectively. A dispenser for supplying water and ice is installed in the freezing compartment door.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an ice maker 61 for supplying ice to the dispenser is installed in the freezing compartment and includes an ice carrier member 64, which is driven by a power supply (not shown).
A discharge opening 62 for discharging ice from the ice maker 61 is formed in the freezing compartment door. A switch 63 for controlling the ice discharged from ice maker 61, a closing plate 43 for elastically closing the discharge opening 62, a push lever 49, which is connected to the closing plate 43, for operating the switch 63 and a damper, installed on a first side of the discharge opening 62, for slowing down the closing plate 43 are all installed below the discharge opening 62.
The damper comprises a deceleration part 70, which is installed adjacent to the discharge opening 62 and in an inside portion of the freezing compartment door, and an operating part 80. One end of the operating part 80 moves with the deceleration part 70, and the other end of operating part 80 is connected to a side of the push lever 49.
The deceleration part 70 comprises a pair of casings 71 disposed in an inside portion of the freezing compartment door and formed with a working groove 72 in one side, an oil damper 73 disposed in an inside portion of casing 71 and having at least one tooth 74, and a deceleration gear 75 that engages the oil damper 73.
When a user compresses the push lever 49 in order to extract ice from the ice maker 61, the lower portion of the push lever 49 rotates with respect to a rotating shaft 48 and contacts the switch 63. Then, the ice carrier member 64 operates in accordance with the operation of the switch 63. In addition, the upper portion of the push lever 49 rotates forward with respect to the rotating shaft 48 and pulls the operating part 80. Hence, the operating part 80 moves forward and makes the deceleration gear 75 rotate. In addition, the closing plate 43 moves to open the discharge opening 62.
When the user releases the push lever 49, the closing plate 43 and the push lever 49 return to their initial positions automatically by the force of an elastic member 44. The closing plate 43 and the push lever 49 are slowly rotated by the damper. Because the return speed of the closing plate 43 is slowed, the ice has sufficient time to discharged from the discharge opening 62. Thus, the damper solves the problem of ice remaining in the discharge opening 62.
However, because the push lever and the closing plate are interdependent in the conventional refrigerator, the damper simultaneously slows the return speeds of both the closing plate and the push lever. Accordingly, the return time of the push lever is delayed. Because the return of the push lever is delayed when released by the user, customers think that the push lever of the refrigerator is defective.
Thus, in order to acquire customer trust in the goods, it would be advantageous to independently operate the return speeds of the closing plate and the push lever.